Abstract: Selenium is a trace element with an antioxidant function being one component of glutathione peroxidase. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status by preschool with 4 to 6 years of public nursery school in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. The children were divided by age: 2 to 3 and 4 to 6 years. Evaluation was dietary intake, anthropometry, and selenium levels in children nails. The food intake was evaluated through direct food weighing. The values of food energy and macronutrients were determined by using the Brazilian Table of Food Composition - TACO of the Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas em Alimentação (NEPA) of the Campinas State University (UNICAMP) and label foodstuff. Selenium content of diet and nails was determined by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The values of food energy, macronutrients and selenium were compared with the Recommended Dietary Allowances - National Research Council (NRC-RDA, 1989) and the Dietary Reference Intakes - Institute of Medicine (IOM-DRI, 2000). The Center for Disease Control / National Center for Health Statistic (CDC/NCHS-2000) growth charts and cutoff points based on percentiles were adopted as reference for the index weight/height, height/age and body mass index/age. The food consumption of energy was below and protein was above recommendation. The percentual contribuition of carbohydrates was adequate to the total energy content on the diet, however it was inadequate for lipids. The average selenium intake found were 18,7 ug/day for children with 2 to 3 and 29,5 ug/day for children with 4 to 6 years, what was according to EAR. The average nail selenium concentration were 0,50 ug/g for children with 2 to 3 and 0,48 ug/g for children with 4 to 6 years